In my 29 gallon tank I know exactly what I want to do with it(had the idea ages ago, but haven't been able to make a planted tank until now) and part of it is a "hedge" of bushy plants. So far I've found dwarf lobelia a couple of smaller anubias and HM for plants that can be grown into a bushy look. Are there any other sorts out there that would work? I was thinking about using the HM since it grows a bit faster. Would that be an easy hedge to maintain, or would pruning it occasionally to keep it mid-low in the tank make it want to spread along the substrate too much instead?
making a "hedge?"
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I have used HM effectively for a hedge. It took some work initially as I had to trim runaway stems. Once everything established, I just let it run on its own. I still need to occasionally trim the runaways, but overall it stays where I want it and grows very bushy and up instead of out.
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Check out this thread for some useful info:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...lants-discussions/57960-pruning-timeline.html
Heteranthera zosterifolia (Stargrass) and Rotala sp. 'Green' are other great plants to form bushes.
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...lants-discussions/57960-pruning-timeline.html
Heteranthera zosterifolia (Stargrass) and Rotala sp. 'Green' are other great plants to form bushes.
What about Bacopa australis? I was looking at plants online and read that it likes to stay low(although I've got just over 2 wpg, PC lights, so I don't know if I have enough light for it to or not.)
Also, does anyone have any ideas of what I could use for a gate? It doesn't need to be a plant, but it needs to look decent, and be made of something that isn't going to rot underwater.
Also, does anyone have any ideas of what I could use for a gate? It doesn't need to be a plant, but it needs to look decent, and be made of something that isn't going to rot underwater.
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Bacopa australis should work as well.
A gate...hmmm. Never seen anyone use something like that before. If I had to jury-rig something, I'd try the plastic knitting mesh as a base and then silicone/superglue strips of cut-off zip ties to make something that looks like a gate/fence. If you use the knitting mesh turned at a 45 degree angle when you cut it out it will look something like one of those lattice fences. The issue with that is it will cover up some of your bottom plants....which may not be a bad thing for stems that start losing their leaves at the bottom.....
A gate...hmmm. Never seen anyone use something like that before. If I had to jury-rig something, I'd try the plastic knitting mesh as a base and then silicone/superglue strips of cut-off zip ties to make something that looks like a gate/fence. If you use the knitting mesh turned at a 45 degree angle when you cut it out it will look something like one of those lattice fences. The issue with that is it will cover up some of your bottom plants....which may not be a bad thing for stems that start losing their leaves at the bottom.....
Could I collect the wood and then put it straight into the tank, or would I need to cure it for a while before? We've got a bigger tree in the apartment's yard that I could grab some smaller dropped twigs from to make it out of.
I was thinking about doing the mesh wall for the gate and then putting some sort of moss over it, which gave me a completely different idea. Instead of trying to groom a stem plant into a hedge, could I make a mesh wall and attach either weeping moss or fissidens fontanus to it to make the fence with? It'd probably look a LOT more well groomed, and would have the same effect. I just don't know how wide either of them grow. . .
I was thinking about doing the mesh wall for the gate and then putting some sort of moss over it, which gave me a completely different idea. Instead of trying to groom a stem plant into a hedge, could I make a mesh wall and attach either weeping moss or fissidens fontanus to it to make the fence with? It'd probably look a LOT more well groomed, and would have the same effect. I just don't know how wide either of them grow. . .
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if you collect something from outside, I'd boil it for 10 minutes and soak it for a week under a heavy object to get it to sink.
You can do that with the moss, it will look more like a moss 'wall' than a gate or fence....Alot of people do taht with mesh and moss to make a wall in the back of their tank. You can trim it at intervals to give it the groomed or wild look that you prefer....
You can do that with the moss, it will look more like a moss 'wall' than a gate or fence....Alot of people do taht with mesh and moss to make a wall in the back of their tank. You can trim it at intervals to give it the groomed or wild look that you prefer....
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Fissidens Fontanus and weeping moss will get as full as you let them. You just need to keep them to the size you want. You can pull off chunks or cut it with sizzors. Both works. A moss hedge would look neat. I think the fissidens would have a neater "hedge" look but will be more expensive and take longer to grow and fill in.
I might cure the twigs first. Can't you find a "dead" tree somewhere? Or at least a dead limb....?
I might cure the twigs first. Can't you find a "dead" tree somewhere? Or at least a dead limb....?
Well, it was suggested that I look for a gate from a model shop for it, and I found one on ebay that looks good. It's just a "rod iron" lego gate, and is a bit short, BUT with a nice hedge around it, should work out well. If I get a long enough break tomorrow, I'm going to go by Michael's to get some craft mesh so I can tie some fissidens to it. I'll just need to get the ferts, diy co2 parts and some substrate for it and then I can start looking for plants!
Thank you all for all the help so far
Thank you all for all the help so far
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